Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: Late Pine Inn
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The sun dipped low over an unnamed mountain, casting long shadows across the borderlands.
The carriage, reaching the end of the official road between Shaanxi and Henan, pulled up to an inn bathed in the soft glow of lanterns.
"This looks good enough."
With those words, Cheonhwi eyed the inn's signboard.
'Late Pine Inn.'
The name fit the twilight hour perfectly, which put a smile on his face.
Shwaa—
Cheonhwi stepped inside first.
Unlike the serene exterior, the interior buzzed with life.
A crowd of patrons mingled amid platters of colorful dishes.
The place was so slammed that the waiter wasn't the only one hustling—the portly innkeeper was waddling around, his massive belly jiggling with every frantic step.
In the midst of the chaos, a waiter finally spotted them and hurried over.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No worries."
Danmokin flashed a bright smile.
The teenage waiter's cheeks flushed pink at the sight.
"Right this way, please."
"Something nice, if you would."
"You got it!"
The waiter strode off with purpose, and Cheonhwi, Danmokin, and Cheon Yi-gae followed close behind.
Swipe—
All eyes turned their way.
More precisely, they locked onto Danmokin.
Some ogled her openly, scanning her up and down, while others forgot their meals entirely, staring slack-jawed.
Cheon Yi-gae shook his head at the attention.
"Ever think about wearing a veil?"
Danmokin gave an awkward chuckle.
During her last trip through the jianghu, she'd veiled up religiously to avoid trouble.
But after holing up in the Mount Hua Sect for training, she'd forgotten all about it on this rare outing.
"Yeah, I should pick one up."
Thus monopolizing the inn's stares, the group followed the waiter to a table upstairs.
"What'll it be?"
"Your best meat dish and liquor."
Cheonhwi jumped right in.
"That's the pricey stuff. You sure?"
Danmokin smiled softly.
"Doesn't matter."
"Got it. I'll have it out quick."
The waiter dashed off.
Once he was out of sight...
"You sure it's okay to eat?"
Cheon Yi-gae eyed Cheonhwi.
"Huh? What?"
"The booze and meat."
"You don't want any?"
"Like hell I don't. Question is, can you handle it?"
He whispered under his breath.
"You're a Daoist, aren't you?"
"Long as no one catches me."
"What...?"
Cheon Yi-gae stared in disbelief before bursting into laughter.
"Puhaha! Knew you were no ordinary punk, but wilder than me? Didn't see that coming."
Wiping tears from his eyes, he went on.
"If the Mount Hua Sect Leader caught wind of this, he'd blow a gasket."
"That one's fine."
"Eh?"
"He already knows."
Cheon Yi-gae blinked rapidly.
Too stunned to speak, he gawked at Cheonhwi with wide eyes for a moment.
"...What? He knows? And lets it slide?"
"What can he do? I wanna eat."
Cheon Yi-gae was floored.
And hilarious.
Mount Hua's golden boy scarfing meat and chugging booze.
And the Sect Leader tongue-tied about it? How could he not crack up?
'I'm a weirdo, but this guy's no slouch.'
As Cheon Yi-gae laughed...
"Food's here."
The waiter returned with steaming platters and neatly arranged bottles.
Cheonhwi poured himself a cup and downed it straight away.
"Kuh! Now that's the stuff."
Seeing that, Cheon Yi-gae snatched a bottle and threw it back.
Gulp—gulp—
His throat bobbed as he drained it in one go, nose already turning red.
"Kuh! Gonna get properly plastered tonight."
He proceeded to shovel booze and meat into his mouth like a man possessed, belying his tidy appearance.
Cheonhwi, mid-bite and swig, glanced at Danmokin.
"...Huh?"
She hadn't touched the liquor, barely picking at her food with chopsticks.
He cocked his head.
"You not drinking?"
"Never tried it before..."
Danmokin looked sheepish.
Her Pure Yin Extreme Constitution had kept her from booze for health reasons.
She'd never even caught a proper whiff of it.
But Cheonhwi, already buzzed, wasn't letting her off.
'More accomplices, the better.'
Grinning, he leaned in.
"Come on, give it a shot. When else you gonna?"
"W-Well, true..."
Intrigued, she eyed the cup, swallowed hard, and slid it over.
"Just one, then..."
"Here."
Glug—
She watched it fill, then slammed it back with eyes squeezed shut.
"Huh?"
She opened them and peered at Cheonhwi.
"Not that bitter."
"It's mild."
Unlike her tension, it went down smooth. She giggled.
"Another wouldn't hurt..."
She pushed the cup forward, still smiling—
Thud!
Her upper body collapsed, forehead smacking the table hard.
Cheonhwi smirked at her giggling profile. Already wasted.
"Figures she was grinning like that."
Cheon Yi-gae swallowed his bite.
"Munch munch... What now?"
Cheonhwi glanced at her and poured another, tossing it back.
"Drop her in a room later."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The next morning.
Danmokin, aboard the early-departing carriage, clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Ugh... uuu..."
Her first hangover hit like a truck—throbbing headache, spinning world.
She fought to settle her roiling gut and glanced aside.
Cheonhwi's profile triggered vague memories of last night.
'What happened? I drank and then...'
She furrowed her brow, straining, but drew a blank.
"S-Senior Brother, what went down last night...?"
"Nothing much."
He shrugged it off.
And truly, nothing had.
She'd passed out cold.
He eyed her misery and added,
"Yeah, steer clear of booze."
She nodded faintly.
No need to say it.
Whatever happened, she never wanted this again.
'Feels like death.'
Her face crumpled.
As the carriage veered from road to mountain path, the nausea surged.
She wanted to hurl right then.
But...
'Can't make us stop.'
Biting her lip, she held it down.
This trip was Cheonhwi's, her tagging along.
Halting for her? No way.
'Better get on his bad side.'
Forcing it back down as it climbed her throat—
Neigh!
The carriage jolted hard.
"Mmph!"
She slapped a hand over her mouth.
Pale as a ghost, she peered out the window with effort.
Weirdly armed thugs blocked the pass.
"Pay the toll to pass!"
Her face lit up.
"I-I'll handle it!"
She bolted out, seizing the chance.
"Hey! Fork over the toll—"
The lead thug yelling cut off at the sight of her face.
Not just him.
The men encircling the carriage all froze, gaping.
"Phew."
Danmokin gulped fresh air, color returning.
"Bandits?"
The man snapped to, barking,
"You dare lump us with common bandits?"
He hefted his horse-cutter blade from the dirt, slinging it over his shoulder.
Thud!
The heavy clang sank his feet an inch, kicking up dust.
'That oughta scare her.'
Chin up, smug for any novice.
But...
"If you're not bandits, why block the road for tolls?"
Not the reaction he expected.
His smug face twisted.
'Not spooked?'
He signaled a burly bearded mid ager.
The man nodded.
"How dare you! Know who this is? The Ghost Chopping Giant Blade!"
Cheonhwi and Cheon Yi-gae emerged at the bellow.
"Damn near deafened me."
Cheonhwi scratched his ear.
"Ghost Chopping Giant Blade? Ring a bell?"
"Nope. Probably some wannabe with a fancy nickname."
"Flashy for nothing."
"Sapa types, am I right?"
Ghost Chopping Giant Blade scowled.
"You punks! Offered to let you pass for a toll, but your big mouths sealed your fate."
He raised the horse-cutter high.
The crude blade eclipsed the sun, shadow creeping long.
"Get 'em!"
The encirclement gripped weapons, inching closer.
Soon they ringed the carriage within ten zhang.
"Won't kill you, girl. Keep you as my—"
Ghost Chopping Giant Blade leered.
"Talkative."
Danmokin cut him off.
She drew her sword in a flash, eyes icing over as she thrust.
"You bitch!"
He swung wildly, blade aloft.
Whoooosh—
Fierce wind roared.
The air-splitting horse-cutter met her slender white lotus sword—
Clang!
"Gah!"
Ghost Chopping Giant Blade stumbled back, gulping air.
His hands and blade trembled against the paper-thin edge.
"How...?"
"No mercy next time."
Danmokin half-lidded her eyes.
Channeling inner power chased her headache, settled her gut, calming mind and body.
Her sword rose slightly.
The white lotus blade, a gift from Hyeonryeo. No famed sword, just ordinary.
Yet in her grip, it exuded uncommon poise.
Inner energy gathered thick along the blade.
Whoosh—
A plum blossom bloomed at the tip.
Lifeless, not vivid red yet.
But enough to overwhelm the man before her.
"Huh? Already blooming a sword flower like that?"
Cheonhwi watched her and the bloom in awe.
Unstable, but from entry to Mount Hua? Astonishing.
"At this rate, she'll catch Jeokgeom and Seollan soon."
As he muttered—
"Showing weakness before me!"
A thug swung a sickle at Cheonhwi's distraction.
But before it connected—
Crack!
Cheonhwi's scabbard whipped out, smashing the man's jaw.
"Gaaak!"
Teeth and blood sprayed as he crumpled limply.
A gruesome sight.
Cheonhwi ignored the heap, scrutinizing Danmokin closer.
'Top three talent I've seen.'
Pure admiration for her gift—
Swipe—
Her sword lifted slowly.
The tip pointing at the horse-cutter mid-swing—
Thud!
Ghost Chopping Giant Blade dropped his blade from stance to ground.
He knelt, bellowing,
"I pay respects to the prodigy of the Great Mount Hua Sect!"